March 5, 2017

Poke Bowl Buffet at Flavors Restaurant, Holiday Inn & Suites Makati

Flavors Restaurant, the all-day dining restaurant of Holiday Inn & Suites Makati (Philippines), will be including a Poke BowlStation in its lunch and dinner buffet spread on all Fridays of Lent, starting March 3 until April 14, 2017.

Flavors Restaurant | Holiday Inn & Suites Makati

Poké /poh-kay/ is a Hawaiian delicacy which is basically a salad dish consisting of cubed raw fish marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil, and mixed with sesame seeds, dried seaweeds and chopped scallions. It is traditionally served as an appetizer but can also be eaten as a meal when served with a bowl of rice or fresh vegetable salads.

Poke Bowl

Poke Bowl became a craze in California back in 2014. This food trend finally reached the shores of the Philippines in mid-2016. Since then, different restaurants have already come up with their own creative versions of this healthy Hawaiian dish.

DIY Poke Bowl

The (do-it-yourself) DIY Poke Bowl is a fun way to enjoy this dish where you can be creative and imaginative in mixing the ingredients of your poke bowl, and here at Flavors Restaurant, you can have unlimited servings of your DIY Poke Bowl.

Poke Bowl Station | Flavors Restaurant, Holiday Inn & Suites Makati

The Poke Bowl Station at Flavors Restaurant includes freshly sliced sashimi-grade tuna and salmon, a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, steamed white and brown rice, pre-mixed sauces, as well as garnishing.

The nice thing about the Poke Bowl Station is that they made it very simple for guests to assemble their own poke bowl. They already pre-mixed sauces so you don't need to make the sauces form scratch. Choices include Spicy Sriracha Mayonnaise, Ponzu Vinaigrette, Korean Sweetchili, Hawaiian, and Spicy Soya.

The key to a good poke bowl is a sashimi-grade fish such as tuna or salmon. Here at Flavors Restaurant, you assured that they only use sashimi-grade fish as these are the same fish they use in their Japanese Station. Tuna and salmon are kept chilled to maintain their freshness, and are only slice upon request from guests.

Sashimi-Grade Tuna | Flavors Restaurant, Holiday Inn & Suites Makati

To create your own poke bowl, just follow these 4 easy steps found at the Poke Bowl Station:

Step 1 - Choose your rice: Japanese white rice or Japanese brown rice. If you are cutting down on carbs, you can replace your rice with shredded carrot or radish or a bed of cabbage and lettuce

Step 2 - Top you rice with vegetables or fruits.

Step 3 - Have the chef slice tuna or salmon for you. You can have both if you wish.

Step 4 - Choose your sauce.

Here's my poke bowl following the instructions above:

Step 1: I layered my bowl with Japanese white rice, about 1/3 of the bowl

Step 4: I drizzled the tuna with Ponzu Vinaigrette and the salmon with Spicy Sriracha Sauce. Finally, I sprinkled my bowl with sesame seeds and chopped scallions, adding black and orange tobiko.

Metro Staycation Tip

I actually prefer to create the poke in a separate bowl by mixing first the fish with the sauce and allow the fish absorb all the flavors for a few minutes. This way, there will be no excess sauce left sitting at the bottom and soaking the rice of the poke bowl. Below are two of my personal recipes that you can try:

Spicy-Creamy Salmon Poke Bowl

My personal favorite is salmon because of its naturally sweet taste and creamy flavor. Here is my recipe for Spicy-Creamy Salmon Poke Bowl:

1. Have the chef slice or cube a serving of salmon and place it in your bowl.
2. Add the sliced white onion, chopped scallions, tobiko and sesame seeds.
3. Add the Spicy Sriracha Mayonnaise, then mix everything in the bowl.
4. Let the salmon sit for five minutes, allowing the fish to absorb the flavors.
5. Get another bowl and layer the bottom with rice, about 1/3.
6. Give your salmon poke another mix, evenly coating the fish with the sauce.
7. Using chopsticks, transfer the poke onto the rice.
8. Leave the excess sauce in the bowl so not to soak the rice.
9. Add cubed cucumber and ripe mango onto the rice.
10. To garnish, add cilantro and sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Traditional Hawaiian Poke Bowl

If you prefer tuna, which is the fish traditionally used in Hawaii to make poke, here is my recipe for a Traditional Hawaiian Poke Bowl:

1. Have the chef slice or cube a serving of tuna and place it in your bowl.
2. Add the white onion, scallions, tobiko. sesame seeds, ginger and wasbi
3. Add the Ponzu Vinaigrette, then mix everything thoroughly.
4. Let the tuna sit for five minutes, allowing the fish to absorb the flavors.
5. Get another bowl and layer the bottom with rice, about 1/3.
6. Give your tuna poke another mix, evenly coating the fish with the sauce.
7. Using chopsticks, transfer the poke onto the rice.
8. Leave the excess sauce in the bowl so not to soak the rice.
9. Add cubed avocado and edamame onto the rice.
10. To garnish, add nori strips and sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Below is my personalized Poke Bowl which include both the Spicy-Creamy Salmon Poke and the Traditional Hawaiian Tuna Poke. The cucumber and the edamame added crunchiness to the poke while the mango gave a contrasting sweet taste to the salmon. The avocado on the other hand added an exotic taste and creamy texture to the tuna.

So if you feel like going for a Friday lunch out with your office mates, or a Friday weekend dinner with your friends, dine at Flavors Restaurant and try this very addicting yet healthy dish from Hawaii, and add some pinch of creativity and a dash adventure. To book a table, you can call +63 (02) 909-0888 local 7429 or you can email them at hism.fb@ihg.com.

Flavors Restaurant | Holiday Inn & Suites Makati

Aside from the Poke Bowl Station, the lunch and dinner buffets at Flavors Restaurant also has a Bread Station, a Salad Station, A Fresh Fruit Station. a Taco Station, a Carving Station, a Grilling Station, a Noodle Station, an extensive Mains Station, and a Dessert Station. Not to be missed are the Classic Crepe Samurai and the Ube Cheesecake!

Lunch Buffet (12:00nn to 3:00pm): P1,500++ per person

Dinner Buffet (6:30pm to 10:30pm): P1,700++ per person

Deluxe Room | Holiday Inn & Suites Makati

Why not schedule a Friday night staycation with your officemates, friends and family and book a room at Holiday Inn & Suites Makati(Check Room Rates). The hotel has 348 well-appointed guestrooms and suites, as well as an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness gym, a spa, a lobby lounge and a rooftop bar. Holiday Inn & Suites Makati is conveniently located within Ayala Center and directly connects to Glorietta Mall.
For small families, we recommend the 48 sqm Corner Suite(Check Room Availability) which has a lot of playing space for the kids and spacious enough to accommodate an extra bed.

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MetroStaycation Preview to Hilton Manilawe were impressed by the design, dining offerings and the high-tech features of the hotel and here are some of the reasons why you should be excited to stay at Hilton Manila